I spent months on this investigation and gathered docs from the UK courts, Land Registry and a French local authority, to show that Raynor and Moth Winn's story is not as they claim. @tortoisemedia.bsky.social @observeruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

I haven't much to say and the world seems a bit grim, so … here's Bobbie. She doesn't care about that stuff as long as she gets to chill on the sofa.

Pros and cons

I hear folks with big Twitter/X followings say they're reluctant to come to Bluesky because they'll have to start again. I get that. The problem is, those followers on X are either RW arseholes or the left-over zombie accounts of people who've come to Bluesky. Are they really worth staying for?

Thank you to the @societyofauthors.bsky.social & @samblakebooks.bsky.social for leading on this. Could we propose a code of practice for publishers to ensure transparency for stakeholders & customers, eg ghosts & illustrators must be named on the front cover? Smaller font perhaps, but present.

Other industries are required to give credit where it's due, eg movies and academia. Why not publishing?

This is good and correct. Well done to the SoA. societyofauthors.org/2024/12/09/c...

Ryan Mason will be searching out his ‘Interim Head Coach’ business cards right now.

I'm really serious about this. We should start a movement and embarrass celebs into being honest. If it's 'co-written' (i.e. ghosted), at least put that person's name on the cover too. The @societyofauthors.bsky.social should get much more involved. What do you think?

We need a campaign for real fiction. I have no problem with celebs who write books. I have no problem with ghosted memoirs, etc. But ghosted fiction novels with a celeb’s name on the cover are just plain wrong. It’s cynical, branded merch, nothing more.

Just got followed by Mark Twain and Gabriel García Márquez. They're keen to know how I'm doing. Honestly, it feels pretty sweet to be mixing in such prestigious company.

I'm being forced to watch A Very British Christmas by @shelleyharris.bsky.social. It's set in the present day, and the American star has just travelled from the airport to the quaint English town by steam train.

I've written an AI novel to disrupt the industry. It's completely original, of course. Here's the beginning. I hope you like it, but it doesn't matter if you don't as I'll be producing another one this afternoon and a couple more tomorrow. Maybe you'll like them better. Or my cookbook. Or my album.

Laura's a brilliant author and a lovely person. Well worth listening to this podcast, especially if you love a bit of gothic.

Fair point well made 😀

My new novel is currently 76k words long, but I don't seem to be getting any nearer to the end. Does it have to end? Can I just going on writing more and more, forever?

Reposting this Starter Pack for Historical Crime Authors. Please note it’s the crime that’s historical, not the author (allegedly). go.bsky.app/2oZd48F

Optimist: the cup is half full Pessimist: the cup is half empty Academic: first, we must define what we mean by ‘cup’

My latest (free) Substack post tells the story of the creation of 'Doors of London' by Cath Harries @CathLondon & Melanie Backe-Hansen @HouseHistorian, pub @SheldrakePress on 21 November

Can I highly recommend this new book by wonderful @cathlondon.bsky.social and Melanie Backe-Hansen. It’s a book of photographs of doors in London, and it’s utterly beautiful and mesmerising. If you know a lover of all things London, this would make a perfect gift.

Storytelling at its finest. #arcane #pew

My debut novel was published when I was aged over 50. I don't feel so old, but my birth certificate doesn't lie. I’ve talked about this before, but not here, so here's a quick thread on why it's NEVER TOO LATE.

The BOOKS AND DOGS starter pack from @isabelashdown.bsky.social - what could be better?

In the next half hour or so, Bluesky will hit 20 million users. Most of us joined in the last few weeks or days, so we're fairly engaged. Comparatively few dormant account, duplicates, bots and lurkers. Quite a thing we're building here.

As we're all getting to know each other, I propose we volunteer something about ourselves which will infuriate everyone else. But no politics, religion or other nastiness. we're looking for cheerful infuriation only. I'll start. I sleep amazingly. I've had maybe 10 bad nights of sleep in my life.

A reminder that the Historical Crime Authors Starter Pack exists and is growing, so maybe worth another look. If you'd like to be added, let me know. Also, a reminder that it's the crime that's historical, not (necessarily) the author! #historicalcrime #crimefiction go.bsky.app/2oZd48F

Bobbie in full cute mode

People are introducing themselves, so here goes. Writer of novels (new one almost complete), professor at a business school, married to amazing @shelleyharris.bsky.social, two kids (all grown up), two dogs (not grown up), lives in Oxfordshire, well meaning but introverted, socially inept, leftie.

I can't deal with calling Tweets 'Skeets'. Not happening. I'd like to propose we call them 'Blurts' instead. #voteblurts

I couldn't find a Starter Pack for historical crime writers so I started one. If you'd like to be added, let me know! Please share so we can build up a great list. #historicalcrime #crimewriters go.bsky.app/2oZd48F

@andrewvargaauthor.bsky.social Ping! I’m a historical author (in every sense) 😀. Would love to be added to your starter pack.

15m people in this playground of ours

There’s stuff, isn’t there? Good stuff, bad stuff. Little high, little low. It’s about how we cope, I think, with the bumpy ride. How we keep our optimism and joy while not being utterly destroyed by the next plummet. Can we do it? Can we hang together and keep up our chins? I say we give it a go.

I don’t have anything interesting to say, so here’s our dog Bobbie.

Hello! I've escaped from Elon's butt-hole for a more fragrant neighbourhood. Feeling good about it already.